Friday, November 22, 2013

I have put hard work into this and would like to thank my dad for the help that he gave me. Here are the finished results. I have a video explaining the steps, and two different angles of the full run. I hope you enjoy them.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Multiple objects will be raised in this Rube Goldberg machine. The majority of them will be raven heads. On my tumbler there will be eight raven heads. As the tumbler spins each head will go around and end up at a height of 35 centimeters above the lowest point. I will also have a train and elevator rise 35 centimeters. They will be attached using a string or rope through a pulley and onto a heavy weight which will eventually travel 35 centimeters down to cause the elevator's rise. Both the rave heads and the train and elevator are key parts of the machine.

I have incorporated four different simple machines into my Rube Goldberg machine. They are the inclined plane, the wheel and axle, the pulley, and the first level lever. Each helps to complete my simple task. An inclined plane is a ramp or surface that is not horizontally level. It typically is used to move things from one height to another. An example of this is any ramp. When entering a building that has steps there is typically a ramp nearby. This ramp can be used for things that roll and very heavy objects. These object can be pushed or pulled up the ramp. A wheel and axle is made of two pieces. There is a wheel and an axle. These pieces are connected firmly so that when one turns the other turns with it. The wheel and axle is commonly used to lift weights. An example of this can be found at a well. The bucket hangs on a string which is attached to an axle. That axle is attached to either a wheel or a hand crank. When cranking on the handle the rope wind around the axle and the bucket raises. A pulley is also a tool used to lift weights. A pulley works when a rope or string is put over its axle. One end of this rope is tied to the object that movement is desired for. The other end gets held by a person and is pulled on. If the person can exert enough force on the rope they can lift the object. Each pulley added can help to lift heavier object with less effort. A first level lever is a length of sturdy material that is wedged under an object and over a fulcrum or its pivot point. When force is exerted on the side that has nothing on it, force is transferred and the other object is lifted. The closer the pivot point to the object desired to be lifted, and the longer the length of material, e.i. wood or metal, the more force is exerted on the object for the same amount of force exerted on the opposite end. These machines are simple which is why they are called simple. Most that are used aren't recognized. My inclined planes are ramps. My wheel and axle is a tumbler. My pulley is a pulley, as all pulleys are typically. My first level lever is a lever that is used to tip a wall.

A cat yo-yo is released (A) unwinding and spinning the raven tumbler. (B) A raven then pushes on a hinge causing an eye ball to roll down an inclined plane. (C) This eye ball continues to roll until it collides with an eye ball yo-yo which starts to roll. (D) The eye ball yo-yo which is attached to a axe falls off the track pulling the axe down. (E) The axe hits a weight which then falls off of its stand. (F) This weight pulls on a string that winds through a pulley to pull the elevator up 35 centimeters. (G) This elevator then hits the pulley and stops causing its hatch to fall open letting the train roll out. (H) This train then falls onto a first level lever due to gravity causing a wall to tip over. (I) This wall tips over and knocks into another eye ball causing it to roll. (J) Continuing to roll the eye ball hits an eye ball yo-yo and stops causing the yo-yo to start rolling. (K) This eye ball yo-yo drops and swings hitting an eye ball causing it to roll away from the pit. (L) Being attached to the person in peril it pulls against them causing them to fall backwards and saving them from the pit.